Interview with Russian River’s Funky Brewer on Chow.com

I’m stopped half-way between some high school visits in Northern Connecticut and some mini college fairs in southern Massachusetts but I wanted to point out an interview with Russian River Brewing Company’s Vinnie Cilurzo on CHOW.com.

Vinnie Cilurzo is regarded as one of the most innovative microbrewers in the country. He’s often credited with inventing the Double IPA, an ultrahoppy style that’s become extremely popular among craft-beer drinkers. More recently, Cilurzo has joined a handful of maverick American brewers in making Belgian-style ales fermented with an aggressive yeast called Brettanomyces. He’s also aging beer in old wine barrels, and adding strains of bacteria that impart sour flavors. He calls the results “funky beers,” and judging by the awards they’re racking up, they may just prove to be the future of American brewing.